Skyrim Fanfiction
by PiinkSkyy
Summary: Leafeliä is on a journey to pick a spell tome up for her professor, when the unexpected happens. She is thrown into the Cidhna Mines, along with another elf, Colden. They together find a way out into freedom,and into a brighter future. I do not own the Elder Scrolls or any of the characters, places, and locations, but Bethesda does.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Cidhna Mines

Cell Number 3

Date: Middas, 23rd of Frostfall, E 19

The air was damp with eroding rock and silver ores. Just another laborious day in the Cidhna Mines. Another day to suffer for a crime you never committed.

"Leafeliä, get over here and mine, more you mine, day are taken off your sentence," Mandile yelled at her.

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Leafeliä was a mage from the Winterhold College. She was studying the secrets of the dragons, the old folk tales of long ago in her room. She was sent to Markarth to pick up a spell tome for her professor for next month's lesson plans when she was surrounded by the city guards.

"You have been made wrong in the eyes of the Jarl of Markarth, come along with us." They ferociously pulled her to the Jarl's quarters to be sentenced for a local man's death.

She was only on a journey to pick a tome up for her professor, when she was accused of murder.

And this is now her life, unraveling before your eyes.

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Leafeliä was one of many citizens of Skyrim who were wrongly accused. Many prisoners were in the Cidhna Mines for over ten years. Most of them started making the place their home. All of them were family.

Leafeliä was the only woman there, but gender did not matter. Unless you were the guard of sector four.

Mandile was the defiler of women, so Leafeliä always was cautious when he was around. She knew when he came and went. His so-called visits at seven in the morning, high noon, seven at night, and midnight.

She would wake up five minutes before he shoved the keys into her cell door to unlock it.

She did however bonded with two men that watched over her. Their names were Colden and Zacharias. They both made and supplied shivs to the other prisoners in exchange for silver ores.

Colden rolled over in his bed roll to look at Leafeliä leaning against the wall, waiting.

"Are you coming to bed love," he whispered, carefully not to wake Zacharias out of his drunken sleep.

"Yes please," she said as she looked over at him. She was particularly fond of him, and had grown close to him in these last few years.

She dragged her bed roll over to his and closed her bloodshot eyes.

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As she awoke she noticed that Colden had already had started mining ores in the corridor next to their cell.

She stretched her sore back and put on her foot wraps carefully, as to not scrape against a cut that ran down the sole of her foot.

She had gained that by not gathering enough ores, so Mandile had punished her by slitting her foot. It made no sense at all in what he was trying to achieve. Injuries meant less ores, less ores meant more punishment, more punishment equals death.

She grabbed her pickaxe up and walked pass sleeping Zacharius. He wasn't going to get breakfast if he wasn't awake.

That's how things worked around here.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Cidhna Mines

Gathering Area

Date: Turdas, 14th of First Seed, E19

Somewhere on the line of the prisoner's freedoms was gathering time.

Zacharius, Colden and Leafeliä made their way to an open room, heavily watched by guards, but they were free to talk to others.

Prisoners from other sectors filed in and started to mingle.

Leafeliä stayed with her own sector group, because she did not want to draw attention to herself. Colden stayed back as well, while Zacharius tended to stray away towards other groups. He tended to get drunk on old ale, and Colden would have to carry him back. Either that or he would stumble back in a drunken rage.

That night Colden carried Zacharius back to sector four.

"Leafeliä, my friend, yur un pretee girl," Zacharius drunkenly murmured to her.

She did not answer and turned her nose up in disgust.

"Carry him faster please, Colden,and wrap him tight in his bed roll tonight," she ordered him.

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Colden dropped him to the ground with a resounding thud.

He moaned out in pain.

Colden rolled out his bedroll, but instead, he leaned against the cavern wall.

"I wish I could see the light of day again. To walk through the beautiful forests. To ask that one woman for her hand in marriage. If only." He stopped his monologue of sadness.

"Colden,"she said. "If we ever get out of here alive, I'm living with you. You have a tender and loving soul."

"Much gratitude m'lady," he replied.

She blushed.

"We better get to sleep Colden," she suggested.

"Indeed," he said as he moved his bed roll over to hers.

This is the closest they had been.

She then cuddled into the crevice of Colden's arm and fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Cidhna Tunnels

Date: Middas, 20th day of Rain's Hand, E 21

Leafeliä had a journal now and Colden had found it while rummaging through her belongings:

Day: I don't even know what today is. There is no way to tell whether it is day or night. I go by when Mandile unlocks my cell. I miss the College. I do not know why they haven't sent for another mage to find me. I miss my professors and my warm bed. I miss the snow, and actually having enough layers of clothes on. I could somehow escape here, but I would probably die trying.

Day: Rain's Hand 15

I have figured out that it is Rain's hand because the ceiling is constantly leaking. Mandile is still forcefully searching through my stuff. At least I have Colden. I think I have grown attached to him. He comforts me when I have worries and fears about this pit they call a prison.

Day: Rain's Hand 20

I feel at risk now. Mandile will not stop pestering me. I think he wants me dead. On the other hand Colden and I are getting fonder of each other. He is a very handsome lad. I'd like to marry him after we get out of here. Meanwhile I try to keep my eyes off him, so I don't scare him. Also my foot is finally healing. It had taken so long for it to heal. I think an infection was festering inside of it, but a little lavender and toadstool does the trick. I better get off to work before Mandile comes by. Farewell.

"Colden," a voice screamed around the corner.

He panicked and flung Leafeliä's journal back where he found it.

Her pointed ears turned red.

"What are you doing," she asked glumly.

"Nothing, nothing, just tidying up," he lied.

She left with a cowling look on her face.

He felt bad for Leafeliä. A poor elf girl thrown in a pit to die. She should be back at the college studying with the other mages.

Meanwhile Colden was thrown here for his race, an elf as well. The elves had a war against the Nords many centuries ago, and they stood hold grudges against them.

A gang of drunk guards caught them on the outskirts of town a few years back. They were traveling to the other side of Markarth to find an inn to stay at for the night. And within a few minutes Colden's friends disbanded and left him there to the guards.

Colden went to the tunnels with the other prisoners. It was deathly quiet though. Usually you could hear pinging off the walls. He walked around the corner to find them all huddled together and looking down a hole. Except this hole was carved out and painted with gold. The walls and floor were a deep green color like an emerald.

"We need to hide this until we make a plan," Zacharias added.

"Let's just cover it with a pile of gravel. The guards wouldn't expect another pile of gravel laying around," a prisoner added.

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In the next following days the prisoners gathered a plan and shared it amongst each other. Colden supplied enough shivs to fuel an army.

Each of them took five, in case they had to stab and run.

Leafeliä and Colden took watch past midnight when all of the guards fell asleep. The prisoners of sector four went and lock picked the other cell doors open.

They single filed down the tight tunnel to the hole that led to their freedom, and a brighter future.

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If you enjoyed reading this fanfic, you definitely should go read my others, I promise you will love them. **_~Live Long and Prosper_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Asterisks indicate translation at end of the sentence or paragraph._**

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Chapter 4

The Dark Alley ways of Markarth

Date: Sundas, Seventh Day of Rain's Hand, E 21

"Shush, hush Zacharias," Leafeliä said as she punched him in the gut. The prisoners rounded the corner and waited for a few street guards to pass.

As they left, all of them took a mad dash down the road quietly. Almost too excited they almost ran into the city gates.

Leafeliä's horse was still in the stables where she left it. It whinnied as she came closer.

"Shhh…. It's okay Zereth, we are going to get out of here and back to the college," she calmed it. The other prisoners all ran for their lives, except one.

Colden stood in the moonlight in his tattered clothing. His hair had grown long after the last few years. It's blond color reflected off and shone bright in the moonlight. Leafeliä's hair as well.

Two lone elves waiting to leave death.

"I'm ready to leave, to get new clothes, and a job. Hopefully this will get us where we need to be," he said as he pointed to a satchel on his hip. It was full of silver ores and quite a few pieces of gold.

"Where did you get that," she asked him.

"I found it just laying around," he said with a smirk.

Leafeliä mounted on her horse Zereth, while Colden jumped up behind her on the saddle.

Colden tucked his hand up against Leafeliä's stomach to hold on.

"Bo Zereth, ru kotin faal stin*,"she shouted as she hit her bare heels against Zereth's side and he galloped away from the city of doom. *Go Zereth,run into freedom.

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Leafeliä and Colden camped on the outskirts of Markarth, where the guards could not claim territory of them ever again.

Colden laid down in a gather of tree roots with moss on top of it. Leafeliä sat at the small fire she started to keep warm.

"Nil los ful krah**," she said shivering and then tucking her arms underneath her armpits to keep warm. **It is so cold.

"Hind wah aav dovahn***," Colden asked, motioning his hands towards her to join him.***Wish to join me?

She scuttled over to his side and crouched down beside him.

"Kolos****," she asked because there was no room in the roots.****Where?

"Nok tum, aav dovahn*****," he said patting his lap. *****Lay down, join me.

She curled up and leaned into his chest.

"Hahnu pruzah zeymahzin, all faal rah koraar naal hi ol hi huhnu******,"he whispered into Leafeliä's ear and combed the hair back over her sleeping wrapped his arms tighter around her as he held her close, ******Dream well companion, may the gods watch over you as you sleep.

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Sorry for such a long wait, I haven't had much time to type up this fanfic because I've been recently working on a Sherlock one. Hope you enjoy! _**~PiinkSkyy**_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Countryside

Date: Turdas, ninth day of Rain's Hand, E 21

Leafeliä had began to go on a hunt for food. She sat whittling down a tree branch to make a spear.

She went into the small forest to go hunting, only to come back with a handful of edible plants.

She sat sadly by the fire with her knees tucked to her chest. The flames licked the air slowly, reflecting off her pupils, giving her a angered look.

Colden watched her for a while before heading out to his turn to find food. To make her happy again.

Leafeliä sat at the camp in search for a hollowed rock to carry water.

As she picked up the rock by the stream, something rumbled in the distance.

Her ears began to hurt, because the rumble from the distance was actually yelling at her.

"Lahvraan het sizaan vahlok, zu'u lost laan hi ya!" * *Gather here lost guardian, " I have what you seek!"

How did she hear that?

"Make haste little one," it spoke again.

Leafeliä used her elf ears to pinpoint the source of the sound.

She climbed up a tree to see if she could see it from afar.

After that she climbed down and ran to the forest clearing.

A rocky formation began to move, and in that moment Leafeliä was awestruck.

A dragon lay before her.

"Hello warrior, now that we have met I must know you," it telepathically talked to her.

"I am Leafeliä, a Mage from Winterhold College. Born from the line of the Warrens from The Summerset Islands. Both of my parents are dead from unknown causes. My partner and I escaped from the Cidhna Mines a few days ago. I was wrongly accused of murder. Colden and I are now traveling together," she said taking no pauses.

She was nervous of what the dragon's answer would be.

"You have a very sad life, little elf. May I join you on your journey," it asked.

"I have to ask my companion Colden," she said as she rushed back into the forest.

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She eventually found Colden at their small camp, gutting a deer. He dropped his knife and followed after her.

After a short conversation, they both gathered what few belongings they had and flew away towards Whiterun.

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During the flight the dragon spoke again to Leafeliä.

"I'm sorry to ask so swiftly, I have been shunned from my kind. I had found your sil (soul) and it had a safe aura around it. And you're still wondering my name aren't you little one," he asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"I am Caradoc. I forgotten dragon."he answered.

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At a break at Dusk of Turdas

Colden had killed Zereth, Leafeliä's horse, which had followed them by scent. She sat behind a tree covering her ears, to soften the sounds of his cries. She already missed him. He was now used for food and a more comfortable saddle for the dragon.

Colden rinsed his hands in a nearby brook watching the red swirl with the clear water. Soiled by the blood of new hope.


End file.
